BOOTLE skipper David Snellgrove has seen most things during his long career but this season’s visit from the Sky Sports cameras gave him a special reason to be proud.

After spending the whole weekend at Wadham Road, Sky featured Bootle in the popular Club Life section of their Test coverage with no less a figure than Sir Ian Botham praising the club and remembering the time he played there as a teenager.

“It was fantastic and great exposure for the club,” said Snellgrove.

“We were a little concerned we might not have come across in a good light especially when a police helicopter was flying above the ground but David Lloyd’s son Graham played here for four or five years and it was nice he had some kind words to say.”

The cameras showed footage from Bootle’s excellent victory against Leigh and despite an opening day defeat to Ormskirk and last Saturday’s shock loss against promoted Southport and Birkdale, Snellgrove is relatively happy with his team’s start that sees them lying in third place after six games.

“We have had a decent start and on two weekends the First, Second, Third and Fourth XIs all won which is great so the club as a whole is doing well,” said Snellgrove.

“Apart from a four run deficit to Ormskirk on the opening day and then Saturday we have won every match and we are pleased to still be in every competition we have entered.”

With 15 league wins in their illustrious history, Bootle always expect to be in the mix for silverware and this season is no different, something Snellgrove is well aware of.

“There is always pressure but that’s how it is here,” he said. “There’s no secret about it – we want to win things.

“We have gone about it in a different way lately by trying to bring younger more local lads through but the expectation levels haven’t gone down so we are still expected to do well and hopefully we will.”

Much of that depends on how Bootle’s rivals perform this season and six games in the experienced Snellgrove thinks he has seen enough to realise this campaign will be tough.

“The usual suspects will be there or there abouts.

“Ormskirk look strong, but perhaps not quite as strong as last year – they will miss Nicky Caunce and I don’t think Simon Kerrigan will be available too often.

“Leigh have recruited well and we managed to beat them here but they are a good side dependent on the availability of Steve Mullaney and Karl Brown who I’m not sure will play at all.

“Northern have had a great start and I think New Brighton and Colwyn Bay will be in the mix somewhere and hopefully we will be there as well.”